(Story courtesy of Trinity University athletics | Photo courtesy of Joe Fusco, D3photography.com)
RICHARDSON, Texas – The 21st-ranked Trinity University women's basketball team was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs in a 79-70 loss to the University of Texas-Dallas on Friday night.
Trinity's defense was solid in the first half of the game, holding UT-Dallas to 10-35 (28.6%) shooting and just 1-11 (9.1%) from three-point range. Unfortunately, the Tiger offense struggled with just 32.1% (9-28) shooting and finished the half 0-8 from distance.
The teams were evenly matched to start the game, but the Comets used an 8-0 run to turn an 8-7 deficit into a 15-8 lead with under two minutes to go in the first quarter. UT-Dallas held on for a 19-13 lead at the end of one.
After UTD scored the first three points of the second to go up by nine, the Tigers stormed back with seven unanswered points to key an 11-2 run that tied the game 24-24 with 1:58 left until the half.
The Comets finished by scoring six of the final eight points of the half to take a 30-26 lead into the locker room.
Trinity held close in the third quarter, but could never tie the game again. UT-Dallas led by as many as seven points in the period, but the Tigers were down just two (49-47) with 1:39 left. The Comets hit a pair of foul shots and a layup to take a 53-47 lead after three.
The Comets went up eight in the opening moments of the fourth, but Trinity went on a 9-2 run to make it a 63-62 UTD lead with 5:07 to play.
Trinity was still within one nearly two minutes later, but the Comets scored seven straight to push the lead back to eight points (74-66) with just under two minutes left.
The Tigers scored four straight to make it 74-70 with 49 seconds to go, but the team missed its final five shots, and UT-Dallas was able to hold on for the win.
Both teams were significantly better in the second half, but wile Trinity was above 47% shooting over the final 20 minutes, UT-Dallas shot better than 63% to hold on for the win.
Micah Weaver scored all 19 of her points in the second half of play to lead the Tigers, hitting 7-16 from the floor and 4-6 from the free throw line. She became the 17th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points, finishing with exactly that total.
Abby Holland had 15 points after shooting 4-9 from the field and 7-8 from the charity stripe. Mollie Hughes added 14 points to go with four assists and two blocks.
Rebecca Gordon hit 3-3 from the field and chipped in with seven points, while Emily Daniel came off the bench with seven points and four boards.
Trinity fell to 23-4 on the season with the loss, which snapped the team's nine-game winning streak. UT-Dallas improved to 24-4 with the win and will take on East Texas Baptist University in tomorrow's second round.